The first of this season's major tournaments got off at the first time of asking with some reasonably good weather and sea conditions. This year's Bacardi Rum tournament had an entry of almost 70 boats with some 280-odd anglers registered as participants. Definitely a large event, not to mention a popular one.

There were a total of 21 boats that made it to the weigh station although only 19 of these actually had fish to weigh. The entry into the tournament actually consisted of 68 boats but it is a rare tournament indeed that sees more than a third of the entries actually arrive at the weigh-in. This is often commented on by the viewing gallery at a weigh-in. The question about how many boats are expected is exceedingly open-ended and for a variety of reasons. While it is possible to know how many boats have entered, there is no way of telling how many will actually show up.

First off, some of the registered boats simply don't go. Whether the engine doesn't start, the crew doesn't show up, there is a change of plans or inclement weather is the reason, the bottom line is that is one boat which will not arrive at the weigh station, the bottom line is that is one boat which will not arrive at the weigh station.

Secondly, some boats might not catch enough or a large enough fish to warrant taking the time to weigh in. So many local boats are fished by friends who club in to do the fishing and then to do the washing down later. This can make for a late evening which is made even later if additional time is spent at a weigh-in, where there can be delays.

Basically, most anglers only go to weigh in if they think that they are in with a chance. Cell phones and other forms of communication often play a role in this even though there have been situations where a bit of misinformation can come in handy.

Finally, it comes down to whether or not the fish are willing to cooperate. Then, even if they do, they have to be large enough to make the minimum weight. Some tournaments like the International Light Tackle Tournament (ILTT) score points for released fish but most of the local tournaments are won by fish that are put on the scales. This helps to keep players honest and, when occasional anglers are involved, they do want to justly their acquired bragging rights.

To put the overall catch into perspective, here are some interesting statistics, relating to the 53 fish that were put on the scales. There were 40 wahoo weighed, 19 of which made the 20-pound minimum weight requirement. Seven out of nine yellowfin tuna weighed in qualified. Although there were no categories for any other species, there was one barracuda, one skipjack (oceanic bonito) tuna and one Almaco jack (bonita) weighed for interest's sake. Even if there had been an "Other" category none would have qualified on the basis of weight.

Through this week, the Bermuda Anglers Club have been holding their 45th ILTT which this year drew a total of six teams from local and foreign angling organisations. The tournament is a four-day event which generally concentrates on light tackle chumming and was hopeful that the Sunday tournament would locate a concentration of suitable tuna. As it turned out this was not to be.

There are some yellowfin tuna out there and although they haven't been too responsive to chumming, they will probably settle down and behave the way we expect them to as the summer progresses. Some of the fish that were caught on Sunday were caught by trollers using spreader bars, a relatively new innovation for local anglers. It just goes to show that sometimes something different can pay off – deep trolls were like that once upon a time!

While most of the tuna are school-sized fish in the 20-60 pound range, there are some really small, almost mackerel-sized yellowfin around. Be wary of these, they are really small and there is a seven-pound legal minimum weight in place for this species. Bermuda doesn't often see really tiny yellowfin but there do seem to be some out there at present. Knowing the rate at which tuna can grow, in a few weeks they will probably be of legal size but, for the moment, be careful!

To return to the ILTT, there have been some nice fish caught, notably Danny Fox's two wahoo which weighed in at 40 pounds and 41.4 pounds. A few yellowfin have graced the scales but it seems to be the blackfin that are providing much of the competition. Looking back at history, this tournament has been won by blackfin tuna particularly when the Allisons are a mite reticent.

After two days of fishing, the leading team were the hosts with 4,803 points, about 2,200 points clear of a tightly bunched second to fourth-placed teams which were within a few hundred points of each other. The tail-enders were in dire straits, but, as every experienced angler knows, everything can change in a single day. Those wishing to keep tabs on how the tournament plays out are advised to go the BAC website at www.bermudaanglersclub.com where the ILTT Tattler is continually updated with the latest developments and scores.

Those interested in big game should be aware that there are blue marlin on the offshore grounds and that they will probably get a bit of a free ride until after the Newport-Bermuda Yacht Race is over. Then the battlewagons will arrive and the deep will become a much more crowded place as the big fish seekers look to show profits in the cash tournaments that dominate the month of July. Putting in some time now could result in a shot at a really large fish as these seem to be earlier rather than later arrivals on the offshore grounds and now that the tunas have been shown to be here, there is plenty of reason for the big blues to take up residence in the local area. Just by the way, some research has shown that it is the blackfin tuna that is the favourite food of the blue marlin. Not to mention, skipjack (oceanic bonito) tuna which also just happen to be available offshore at present.

The competitive events ease of a bit for now with the next one being a private invitational fly fishing tournament that is to be fished through the coming week. In two weeks' time, there is another large event in the form of the 56th annual Bermuda Regiment Tournament.

This is an ever-popular event and boasts being the Island's oldest tournament. Happily, while this tournament attracts the serious anglers, there are also plenty of categories for casual fishermen who are quite happy to catch just about anything. Look out for the notices and entry forms because this is a great opportunity for just about anybody to enjoy some Tight lines!!!